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More than 1,500,000 people were affected when typhoon Nock-Ten made landfall in the Philippines on 25 December.
Handicap International is now helping victims of the disaster to access accommodation and drinking water.

Handicap International, active in Colombia since 1998 [1], is preparing to launch a five-year mine clearance operation in three of the country’s departments (Cauca, Meta and Caquetá). The organisation is also continuing to deliver awareness-raising on the risks associated with landmines and explosive remnants of war, as well as victim assistance.

Handicap International attended the Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Chile from 28 November to 1 December. It used this opportunity to present its “integrated approach” to victim assistance. Elke Hottentot, Handicap International’s victim assistance expert, explains the challenges involved.

Handicap International is continuing its work to help the victims of Hurricane Matthew, three months after the hurricane swept through Haiti. Over 700 emergency kits have just been distributed to victims of the disaster, in particular enabling them to rebuild their homes.

On 12 January 2010, Haiti was devastated by an earthquake which killed 230,000 people and injured over 300,000. Handicap International took action immediately after the disaster to provide assistance to the victims. Seven years later, the organisation is still working the country to ensure Haitians have access to rehabilitation services.

Handicap International (HI) helps people with disabilities find work in the Dakar region. Through personalised support, training and advocacy work with businesses, the organisation helps them successfully enter the world of work.

Jalal, 30, was seriously injured in a bombing, in Syria. He lost both legs in the attack and has been attending physiotherapy sessions to restore some of his mobility. He will shortly be fitted with prostheses to help him walk again. Handicap International is able to assist the population with support from the EU’s humanitarian aid and civil protection service (ECHO) and its local partner in Syria.

Firas is 8 years old. This summer, he was seriously injured in an airstrike in Syria. Now paralysed, he can’t go to school or do simple tasks. Handicap International is providing Firas with rehabilitation care to help him recover his mobility. The organisation is able to assist the local population with support from the EU’s humanitarian aid and civil protection service (ECHO) and its local partner in Syria.

Last year, Em Mohamad, 40, was injured in an airstrike along with her family. For the last few months, she has been attending physiotherapy sessions to help her recover from a broken left arm. Handicap International’s assistance is made possible with support from the EU’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Service (ECHO) and its local partner in Syria.

Malake, 6, is from Syria. Three years ago she was injured in a mortar attack on her city. Handicap International and its local partner are providing Malake with rehabilitation care. The organisation is able to assist the population with support from the EU’s humanitarian aid and civil protection service (ECHO) and its local partner in Syria.

Worood, 8, is from Syria. In February 2013, she lost her arm after she and her family were injured in a bombing. For several weeks, Handicap International’s partner in Syria has been providing her with physiotherapy care. The organisation is able to assist Worood with support from the EU’s humanitarian aid and civil protection service (ECHO) and its local partner in Syria.

Two months after Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti on 4 October 2016, 1.4 million people still need assistance. Handicap International is continuing its emergency response in aid of the disaster’s victims.

Ahmad, Zakia and their five children fled their village a month ago. They now live in Khazer camp with tens of thousands of other people displaced from their homes since last October. Still heavily traumatised by the two years they lived under the control of the Islamic State group, Ahmad and his wife welcomed one of Handicap International’s teams into their tent for a psychosocial support session.

Nearly a month ago, Sinat’s family arrived in Khazer camp, where some 30,000 people who have fled Mosul and its surroundings now live. Sinat suffers from cerebral palsy and her parents are worried about her health. She was recently visited by one of Handicap International’s teams, who immediately began providing her with physiotherapy care.

Two weeks ago, Tiba fled the city of Mosul with her family and took refuge in Khazer camp for displaced people, not too far from the front lines. To make her life easier and to help her move around, Handicap International will shortly provide her with mobility aids.